Sidescan sonar navigation from USGS cruise 2002-012-FA along the inner continental shelf of northern North Carolina (iss2002012_tracklines.shp)

The northeastern North Carolina coastal system, from False Cape, Virginia, to Cape Lookout, North Carolina, has been studied by a cooperative research program that mapped the Quaternary geologic framework of the estuaries, barrier islands, and inner continental shelf. This information provides a basis to understand the linkage between geologic framework, physical processes, and coastal evolution at time scales from storm events to millennia. The study area attracts significant tourism to its parks and beaches, contains a number of coastal communities, and supports a local fishing industry, all of which are impacted by coastal change. Knowledge derived from this research program can be used to mitigate hazards and facilitate effective management of this dynamic coastal system.
This regional mapping project produced spatial datasets of high-resolution geophysical (bathymetry, backscatter intensity, and seismic reflection) and sedimentary (core and grab-sample) data. The high-resolution geophysical data were collected during numerous surveys within the back-barrier estuarine system, along the barrier island complex, in the nearshore, and along the inner continental shelf. Sediment cores were taken on the mainland and along the barrier islands, and both cores and grab samples were taken on the inner shelf. Data collection was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and several other institutions including East Carolina University (ECU), the North Carolina Geological Survey, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
The high-resolution geophysical data of the inner continental shelf were collected during six separate surveys conducted between 1999 and 2004 (four USGS surveys north of Cape Hatteras: 1999-045-FA, 2001-005-FA, 2002-012-FA, 2002-013-FA, and two USGS surveys south of Cape Hatteras: 2003-003-FA and 2004-003-FA) and cover more than 2600 square kilometers of the inner shelf. Single-beam bathymetry data were collected north of Cape Hatteras in 1999 using a Furuno fathometer. Swath bathymetry data were collected on all other inner shelf surveys using a SEA, Ltd. SwathPLUS 234-kHz bathymetric sonar. Chirp seismic data as well as sidescan-sonar data were collected with a Teledyne Benthos (Datasonics) SIS-1000 north of Cape Hatteras along with boomer seismic reflection data (cruises 1999-045-FA, 2001-005-FA, 2002-012-FA and 2002-013-FA). An Edgetech 512i was used to collect chirp seismic data south of Cape Hatteras (cruises 2003-003-FA and 2004-003-FA) along with a Klein 3000 sidescan-sonar system. Sediment samples were collected with a Van Veen grab sampler during four of the USGS surveys (1999-045-FA, 2001-005-FA, 2002-013-FA, and 2004-003-FA). Additional sediment core data along the inner shelf are provided from previously published studies.
A cooperative study, between the North Carolina Geological Survey and the Minerals Management Service (MMS cores), collected vibracores along the inner continental shelf offshore of Nags Head, Kill Devils Hills and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1996. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collected vibracores along the inner shelf offshore of Dare County in August 1995 (NDC cores) and July-August 1995 (SNL cores). These cores are curated by the North Carolina Geological Survey and were used as part of the ground validation process in this study.
Nearshore geophysical and core data were collected by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The nearshore is defined here as the region between the 10-m isobath and the shoreline. High-resolution bathymetry, backscatter intensity, and chirp seismic data were collected between June 2002 and May 2004. Vibracore samples were collected in May and July 2005.
Shallow subsurface geophysical data were acquired along the Outer Banks barrier islands using a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system. Data were collected by East Carolina University from 2002 to 2005. Rotasonic cores (OBX cores) from five drilling operations were collected from 2002 to 2006 by the North Carolina Geological Survey as part of the cooperative study with the USGS. These cores are distributed throughout the Outer Banks as well as the mainland.
The USGS collected seismic data for the Quaternary section within the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system between 2001 and 2004 during six surveys (2001-013-FA, 2002-015-FA, 2003-005-FA, 2003-042-FA, 2004-005-FA, and 2004-006-FA). These surveys used Geopulse Boomer and Knudsen Engineering Limited (KEL) 320BR Chirp systems, except cruise 2003-042-FA, which used an Edgetech 424 Chirp and a boomer system. The study area includes Albemarle Sound and selected tributary estuaries such as the South, Pungo, Alligator, and Pasquotank Rivers; Pamlico Sound and trunk estuaries including the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers; and back-barrier sounds including Currituck, Croatan, Roanoke, Core, and Bogue.

美国北卡罗来纳州东北部海岸带（从弗吉尼亚州假角至北卡罗来纳州卢考特角）已被一项合作研究项目开展调研，该项目完成了河口、障壁岛与内陆陆架的第四纪地质格架填图工作。该研究成果为理解不同时间尺度（从风暴事件至千年尺度）下地质格架、物理过程与海岸演化之间的关联提供了基础依据。本研究区域的公园与海滩拥有可观的旅游客源，分布有多个沿海社区，并支撑着当地渔业，上述产业均受海岸变化影响。本项目产生的研究成果可用于减缓海岸灾害风险，并助力该动态海岸带的高效管理。

本区域填图项目生成了高分辨率地球物理（水深测量、反向散射强度与地震反射）与沉积学（岩心与抓斗取样）空间数据集。高分辨率地球物理数据采集自障壁后河口湾系统、障壁岛群、近岸区域以及内陆陆架的多次调查作业。沉积岩心采集于大陆与障壁岛沿线，内陆陆架则同时采集了岩心与抓斗样品。数据采集工作由美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey, USGS）与其他多家机构合作完成，包括东卡罗来纳大学（East Carolina University, ECU）、北卡罗来纳州地质调查局以及弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所（Virginia Institute of Marine Science, VIMS）。

内陆陆架的高分辨率地球物理数据采集自1999年至2004年间开展的6次独立调查（其中哈特拉斯角以北的USGS调查共4次：1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA、2002-013-FA；哈特拉斯角以南的USGS调查共2次：2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA），覆盖面积超过2600平方千米的内陆陆架区域。1999年，研究团队使用古野（Furuno）测深仪在哈特拉斯角以北区域采集了单波束水深数据。其余所有内陆陆架调查均使用SEA, Ltd. SwathPLUS 234kHz测深声呐采集条带测深数据。在哈特拉斯角以北区域，研究团队使用Teledyne Benthos (Datasonics) SIS-1000采集了浅地震（Chirp）数据与侧扫声呐数据，并在1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-012-FA以及2002-013-FA航次中采集了电火花震源地震反射数据。在哈特拉斯角以南区域（2003-003-FA与2004-003-FA航次），研究团队使用Edgetech 512i采集浅地震数据，并搭配Klein 3000侧扫声呐系统开展作业。在4次USGS航次（1999-045-FA、2001-005-FA、2002-013-FA与2004-003-FA）中，研究团队使用Van Veen抓斗取样器采集沉积物样品。内陆陆架的补充沉积岩心数据来自已发表的相关研究。

1996年，北卡罗来纳州地质调查局与矿产管理局（Minerals Management Service, MMS）开展合作研究，在北卡罗来纳州纳格斯黑德、基尔迪维尔希尔斯与基蒂霍克近海的内陆陆架采集了振动岩心样品。美国陆军工程兵团于1995年8月（NDC航次岩心）与1995年7-8月（SNL航次岩心）在戴尔县近海的内陆陆架采集了振动岩心样品。上述岩心由北卡罗来纳州地质调查局保存，并作为本研究地面验证工作的一部分得到应用。

弗吉尼亚海洋科学研究所采集了近岸区域的地球物理与岩心数据。本研究中近岸区域定义为10米等深线与海岸线之间的水域。2002年6月至2004年5月期间，研究团队采集了高分辨率水深、反向散射强度与浅地震数据；振动岩心样品则于2005年5月与7月完成采集。

东卡罗来纳大学于2002年至2005年间，使用探地雷达（ground-penetrating radar, GPR）系统在外岸障壁岛沿线采集了浅地表地球物理数据。北卡罗来纳州地质调查局于2002年至2006年间开展了5次钻探作业，采集了旋转声波岩心（OBX航次岩心），作为与USGS合作研究的一部分。该批岩心分布于外岸群岛与大陆沿线区域。

USGS于2001年至2004年间开展6次航次（2001-013-FA、2002-015-FA、2003-005-FA、2003-042-FA、2004-005-FA与2004-006-FA），完成了阿尔伯马尔-帕姆利科河口湾系统内第四纪地层的地震数据采集工作。除2003-042-FA航次使用Edgetech 424浅地震系统与电火花震源系统外，其余航次均采用Geopulse电火花震源与Knudsen Engineering Limited (KEL) 320BR浅地震系统。本研究区域包括阿尔伯马尔湾及其支流河口（如南河、庞戈河、短吻鳄河与帕斯夸坦克河）、帕姆利科湾及其主干河口（如纽斯河与帕姆利科河），以及障壁后海湾（如库里蒂克湾、克罗阿坦湾、罗阿诺克湾、科尔湾与博格湾）。